More than 98% of voting workers at Michigan Medicine represented by the Service Employees International Union Health Care Michigan voted to authorize a 1-day strike.
According to the union, workers are demanding:
- Respect — including fair wage increases that respect and retain workers who worked through the pandemic (and had their retirement and wages frozen in 2020), as well as making sure no worker is paid less than $20/hour.
- Parity — with other Unionized workers.
- Equity — so lower wage workers pay the same percent of their income on health insurance and parking as high-income employees.
The workers represented include respiratory therapists, phlebotomists, patient care technicians, and clerical staff.
The workers formed their union in two stages that were recognized by the university in July 2023 and March 2024.
Negotiations began for a first union contract to cover both units started about a year ago.
In a statement on the strike authorization vote, University of Michigan Health said it still hopes to avoid workers walking off the job.
“At University of Michigan Health, we remain confident that we can reach agreement without a work stoppage. We are committed to continuing our collaborative discussions with the SEIU bargaining committee members that represent our valued patient care teams and play an important role in health care delivery. Regardless of the vote outcome, patients can continue to expect to receive the same high-quality care at our hospitals and health centers. We are confident in our ability to ensure safe staffing levels," the statement said.
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